A ski safety binding of the type defined hereinbefore is known from Austrian Patent 330,632 in which case the plate can be swivelled to a limited extent on the ski in a pivot bearing in the ski plane, but in the vertical direction is non-detachably fitted to the ski. Furthermore, in the rear plate area of this ski there is a retaining member which cooperates with the automatic binding located at the end of the plate in such a way that the automatic heel binding releases the skiing boot in the case of a specific rotation of the plate. Finally, there is a third fastening on the ski in the front plate area and an elastic mounting support connected to said fastening.
The automatic heel binding differs from the known automatic heel bindings in that there is a shoulder in its lower area on which rests part of an anchoring device, which in turn cooperates by means of a cylinder and a pressure plate with the retaining member fitted to the ski.
The toe of the boot is held on the plate by means of a per se known bow-shaped retaining member. An important disadvantage of said known ski safety binding is its complicated construction and consequently its susceptibility to faults. In addition, at least three binding components have to be fixed to the ski. Due to the three-point fixing in the case of pronounced bending of the ski a jamming effect can occur, so that both the travel characteristics of the ski and the release conditions can be modified. In the case of the three-point fixing according to the Austrian Patent, assembly costs are high and there is a considerable risk of assembly errors. Finally, only a single automatic heel binding can be used with this known ski safety binding and it must be modified for its functional adaptation to the known ski binding.
Other similar binding systems are known, but these are even more remote from the subject matter of the invention. Thus, for example, DOS No. 2,510,385 discloses a ski binding in which a plate is arranged in rotatable, but non-detachable manner on the ski. In addition to the devices of the ski bindings referred to hereinbefore it has a device on the ski which holds the plate in the normal position. The bearing member which is also affixed to the ski controls by means of a rod-spring mechanism a mounting support for the toe of the boot located on the plate and movable in the longitudinal direction of the ski. The subject matter of this application also has the same disadvantages as described relative to Austrian Pat. No. 330,632.
Finally, French Pat. No. 1,446,991 discloses a binding in which the mounting support for the toe of the boot is provided by laterally arranged jaws which are detachably connected to the plate and by means of a bearing member on the ski are completely detached from the release plate by falling out sideways on pivoting the plate. It is inter alia extremely disadvantageous that special measures must be provided in order not to lose the lateral jaws which have been completely detached from the plate. The refitting of the jaws after the fall is relatively difficult and the release mechanism opened by the fall can become filled with snow and dirt.
The object of the present invention is to obviate the disadvantages of the prior art and provide a ski safety binding which combines the recognized examples of the plate binding and those of automatic bindings, particularly automatic heel bindings, whilst simultaneously overcoming the disadvantages of the plate binding resulting from the complete detachment of the plate from the ski. In addition, the intention is to provide a binding in which the detachable mounting supports for the skiing boot form an integral part of the plate and remain such part in all operating positions. A further object is to provide such an integral binding system in which per se known ski brakes are operationally adapted in such a way that, unlike in the case of a conventional plate binding, the ski boot is arranged in the normal position of the plate before entering the braking position and not in the rest position.
These objects, as well as others, are achieved by the novel ski safety binding according to the present invention.
A decisive advantage of the ski safety binding according to the invention is that the binding essentially comprises only two components, namely the plate mounted in rotary, but non-detachable manner on the ski with the safety mounting support for the boot and the ski brake optionally integrated into the plate, and a device fixed to the ski for the simultaneous regulation of the turning angle and the turning force of the plate. There is no need to have other devices stuck or screwed to this ski. A further important advantage is provided by the possibility of using in unchanged form per se known automatic bindings on the plate, either in the heel area of the boot or in the toe area thereof. Another important advantage is that due to the association and cooperation of the device for transmitting and regulating the turning force of the plate which is fitted to the ski with a correspondingly constructed end portion of the plate, but only is it possible to establish the maximum plate turning angle which cannot be exceeded, but at the same time the force necessary for exceeding the minimum angle of plate rotation on the ski is transmitted and regulated and the blocking plate portions are released. Finally the plate end which cooperates with the device for transmitting and regulating the plate turning force can be constructed in such a way that not only is the horizontal rotation of the plate regulated and limited, but in the same way the vertical rotation and this can optionally be made possible and aided by the fact that the central area of the plate is constructed so as to vertically pivot about an axis or about an elastic soft region acting as an axis. The fact that the device for transmitting and regulating the turning force fulfils various functions is a reason why the apparatus according to the invention is very simple as regards construction and assembly but functions in an optimum manner as a ski safety binding.
A further advantage of the ski binding according to the invention is the short distance between the two members fixed to the ski. This leads to a minimum longitudinal bracing of the ski and minimum influencing of the release functions of the binding in the case of bending of the ski. Another advantage is that there is much less chance of assembly errors and the assembly time is greatly reduced. It has also proved advantageous that the pivot point of the sideways release (twisting fall) is located in the lengthened leg axis. This leads to optimum protection against injury in the case of a twisting fall, as well as optimum protection against false releases (the central disk absorbs direct lateral short and therefore harmless skiing impacts).